Survivor Mary Camden: Early detection crucial in breast cancer fight

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Mary Camden, a breast cancer survivor from Shreveport at Christus Health, says when she learned she had cancer, she decided to get a double mastectomy to ensure the cancer wouldn’t spread.

“I’m a survivor, I’m 7 years out, a breast cancer survivor,” She says it’s important for women to go and get a yearly mammogram, and she says that is what led her on this journey.

“I just went for my yearly checkup, and then I had to go get my mammogram and then they did an ultrasound because he said he saw something,” said Mary Camden.

She says it was hard to believe and accept it. She says the most painful part of her journey was when she shared the news with her family.

“Then when Mike got home that night, we, you know, both fell apart, you know, and then, we called our children, and that was, that was the hardest thing, you know, was calling the kids.” said Mary Camden.

That same day, Mary received her results, which changed her life forever.

“She told me exactly what it was and she said, and this was a Thursday, and she said, you need to let me know by Monday who your surgeon’s gonna be, because it had invasive mammary carcinoma,” said Mary Camden.

Camden says she had no symptoms leading up to her checkup.

“At that point, you know, at that time they hadn’t done any tests or anything, so they didn’t know what stage, they didn’t know anything, but you know, when they say invasive, that kind of makes you worried.” said Mary Camden.

If she had not gone sooner, it could have been worse. And shares a warning to all women to get a checkup every year.

“You know, you know that you need to do it every year, but the fact that you’re here getting it done is what’s, it’s what’s important and, and that’s how it’s gonna get caught,” said Mary Camden.

“I finished my, last chemo and my last surgery in December of 2018.”

She says after she beat breast cancer, she wasn’t ready for what came next.

“And then I lost my eyelashes and my eyebrows two months after chemo. I wasn’t prepared for the stuff that happened after chemo, so I think that you just need to be prepared for a whole, you know, 6 more months after your chemo to just kind of get your body back in gear.” said Mary Camden.

Doctors recommend the age at which women should start getting mammograms, but if the disease runs in the family, women should begin yearly checkups at age 30.